Stephen Drew busts out of slump in a big way

Credit: Matt Stone

Boston Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias and shortstop Stephen Drew walk off the field at the in the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Credit: Matt Stone

Boston Red Sox third baseman Jose Iglesias was late on tagging Cleveland Indians shortstop Mike Aviles steal to third base in the second inning of the MLB game at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Credit: Matt Stone

Cleveland Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis runs the bases past Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Felix Doubront after his solo home run in the fifth inning of the MLB game at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Credit: Matt Stone

Cleveland Indians first baseman Nick Swisher tags out Boston Red Sox shortstop Jose Iglesias at first base in the sixth inning of the MLB game at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Credit: Matt Stone

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Franconain watches as Nick Swisher congratulates Jason Kipnis after his sacrifice fly out to left scoring Kipnis in the eighth inning of the MLB game at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Credit: Matt Stone

Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury screams out in celebration after he double to center scoring Jonny Gomes and Stephen Drew with two out to win the game, 6-5 in the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Credit: Matt Stone

The Boston Red Sox surround center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury in celebration after he double to center scoring Jonny Gomes and Stephen Drew with two out to win the game, 6-5 in the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

Credit: Matt Stone

Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury gets a hug from third base coach Brian Butterfield after he double to center scoring Jonny Gomes and Stephen Drew with two out to win the game, 6-5, in the ninth inning of the MLB game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park on Sunday, May 26, 2013.

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Since returning from a lower back injury more than a week ago, Stephen Drew had been in a slump — an 0-for-17 slump. And Drew hit a low point Saturday when he was benched for the Red Sox’ come-from-behind win over Cleveland.

Jose Iglesias was a more-than-adequate replacement at shortstop, going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs.

Red Sox manager John Farrell, however, elected to put Drew back in the lineup for the series finale yesterday.

Drew was a difference-maker in yesterday’s dramatic 6-5 victory over the Indians. He shook off the rough stretch by going 3-for-4 with a double, triple and three runs scored. Drew crossed the plate with the winning run on Jacoby Ellsbury’s walkoff double to left-center with two outs.

“As a hitter you kind of get locked in and sometimes as a hitter you try to do too much,” Drew explained. “I was aware that I hadn’t had a hit but with that kind of story said, if you look back at my AB’s (at-bats), I was hitting balls hard.

“It is baseball and you can sit back and get frustrated or whatever you want to do. Sometimes baseball is not fair when you are putting good AB’s together, but it’s a funny game.

“You can roll over and get hits and break bats and nobody says anything. When you are hitting balls well and getting outs over a long period of time, it is a mental game that has its tipping point.”

Drew was right in the middle of the Red Sox’ four-run rally off Cleveland’s ineffective closer Chris Perez. Dustin Pedroia opened the inning with a walk and went to third on David Ortiz’ double to center. Pedroia scored on a Mike Napoli groundout. Ortiz stole third and scored on a grounder to first by catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia to make it 5-4.

Jonny Gomes drew a walk and went to third on a single to right by Drew, who stole second. Third baseman Iglesias drew a walk to load the bases and Ellsbury delivered the decisive blow.

“Looking back at the ninth it was so exciting because everyone had great at-bats and doing the little things right,” said Drew. “On the first pitch I was thinking slider because I knew he has a good slider and he threw a heater middle in.

“He kind of did the same thing with the next pitch and I was still sitting offspeed. He threw me one right there middle in with a guy on first and I kind of reacted, not trying to do too much with it.”

Cleveland starter Corey Kluber, who recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts, was extremely effective against the Sox lineup — except Drew.

The shortstop busted out of his five-game slump with a leadoff double to right in the third and scored on Daniel Nava’s single. It was the only run allowed by Kluber during his impressive 62⁄3 innings.

Drew set the stage for the Sox’ rally in the ninth by opening the eighth with a triple to right, his third of the season. Drew scored on Iglesias’ sacrifice fly to left. The last Red Sox shortstop to have at least three triples in a season was Nomar Garciaparra, who collected four in 2003.